The Force of Comparison: A New Perspective on Modern European History and the Contemporary World

St Antony’s College Oxford, 17-18 June 2016. Convenor: Willibald Steinmetz

Friday, 17 June 2016

9.30am            Welcome and Introduction: Willibald Steinmetz (Oxford/Bielefeld)

First Session from 9.45 – 11.15am. Early Modern Experiences. Chair tba.

9.45am            Outline of a Historical Epistemology of Comparison (1628-1800). Michael Eggers (Köln)

10.10am          Democratisation Through Comparison? Referencing Alternative Forms of Participation in Early Modern Europe and North America. Lars Behrisch (Utrecht)

10.35am          Discussion

11.15am          Coffee/Tea break

Second Session from 12 – 1.30pm: Reflections in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Chair: tba

12.00pm          Comparative Practices and their Implications in Art History and the Visual Arts. Johannes Grave (Bielefeld)

12.25pm          Two Kinds of Comparisons: Causal Powers and Empirical Events. George Steinmetz (Ann Arbor)

12.50pm          Discussion

1.30pm            Lunch break in the ESC garden or Common Room (dependent on weather)

Third Session from 2.45 – 5.30pm: Economies and the Welfare State. Chair: tba

2.45pm            Comparison and the Welfare State in Modern Europe. Julia Moses (Sheffield)

3.10pm            Discussion

3.30pm            Coffee/Tea break

4.00pm            Comparing Economies on a Global Level in the 1920s and 1930s. Motives, Measures and Consequences. Martin Bemmann (Freiburg)

4.25pm            Comparing Economies on a Global Level in the 1950s and 1960s. Daniel Speich (Luzern)

5.00pm            Discussion

5.45pm            Drinks Reception, ESC Common Room

Saturday, 18 June 2016

Fourth Session from 9.30 – 11am: The Age of Imperialism. Chair: tba

9.30am                        Modern Imperialism and Comparative Consciousness. Alex Middleton (Oxford)

9.55am                        Comparisons in Times of Imperialism. Angelika Epple (Bielefeld)

10.20am                      Discussion

11am                           Coffee/Tea break

Fifth Session from 11.30 – 1.30pm: Rankings in the Contemporary World. Chair: tba

11.30am                      Good – Better – Best. A Typology of Ranking Orders. Bettina Heintz (Luzern)

11.55am                      Title tba (on Rankings as Highly Structured and Often Dysfunctional Forms of Comparisons). Wendy Espeland (Northwestern University)

12.20pm                      Discussion

1pm                             Final Discussion

1.30pm                        Lunch in the ESC garden or Common Room (dependent on weather)